Wichita ? The family of a woman who was fatally shot in a deadly crime spree four years ago has donated $500,000 to Wichita State University to establish a scholarship program in her honor.

Relatives of Ann Walenta, who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the university and was a cellist for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, said the money also would go toward hiring a symphony conductor for the university.

“She often spoke of wanting to do something for the university,” said Don Walenta, the slain cellist’s widower. “She was greatly devoted to the symphony.”

Ann Walenta, 55, was shot during a robbery attempt in her driveway in December 2000 after returning from a holiday concert. She died of her wounds the following month.

Reginald Carr was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death, although the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled the state’s capital punishment law invalid. He and his brother, Jonathan, whose death sentence has also been overturned, were convicted of four other killings.

The state paid the Walenta family $450,000 last year after they and the families of other victims sued, alleging negligence by a state parole officer. The officer mistakenly authorized Reginald Carr’s early release from the Ford County Jail shortly before the killing spree began.

Walenta’s husband and their children, Suzanne and Jeffrey, presented the gift to the College of Fine Arts on Thursday. It will endow a professorship for the university orchestra.

Fine Arts Dean Rodney Miller said the state would match the gift, which will allow the school to hire a nationally known conductor.

The money also will create the Ann Walenta Quartet, whose members will receive scholarship assistance.

“It’s a very good use of the money, and I’m glad we finally got something done,” Jeffrey Walenta said. “We can move on.”